Hank was rescued from a high kill shelter in Los Angeles where his previous owner…

ISWMP is registered as a 501(c)(3) non- profit organization. Contributions to ISWMP are tax-deductible to extent permitted by law.
The ISWMP's tax identification number is 81-4291281

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Taylor Hart

Event Director / Creative Producer

Taylor Hart is a Los Angeles based content producer who, in conjunction with Bipolar Propaganda, has produced both long and short form content in domestic and foreign markets for commercials, film, non-scripted television and documentaries. He has worked with an extensive list of directors and clients, and has developed and produced multiple films, including working with three Oscar nominated actors. Taylor has recently finished the Documentary, Dust Radio: A Film about Chris Whitley for Sony Classics, and working alongside Don Cheadle on the Golden Globe winning Showtime comedy House of Lies.

In addition to his work in the entertainment industry, Taylor expanded marketing strategies for cross functional platforms in the natural beverage industry. Taylor also helped develop a Los Angeles based team for Living Social’s adventures department, pairing sales packages between companies and individuals.

Prior to this, he worked for the Jefferson Group in Washington, lobbying in the transportation sector. While living in New York, he worked in the fashion industry, specifically in the celebrity service division at Calvin Klein, and following that he managed the boutique Antique Store, Smith & Gurney.

Taylor spends his free time traveling and helping animals.

He is a graduate of Texas Christian University where he studied marketing and political science.

Gia Amini

Ambassador

Gia has always felt a deep connection with people from all walks of life, but she has specifically felt a very profound connection with animals. As a little girl, Gia began to rescue any animal in need she would come across without discrimination, from rabbits and birds to cats and dogs, and it was a regular occurrence in her household for Gia to bring new animals home that needed care. Now, at the age of 32, Gia is still seeking ways to give back and to help those in need, and is an outspoken advocate for rights for all people and animals, and is an environmental activist.

Gia currently resides in Los Angeles, where she teaches yoga. As a yoga instructor and practitioner, her daily mantra she lives by reads in Sanskrit “Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu,” which translates to “may all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my life contribute in some way to that happiness and that freedom for all.”

Ellen Ballon Dante

Special Project Advisor

Ellen is a committed animal activist and jewelry designer, and also the founder of the Deity Animal Rescue & Foundation, a non-profit rescue organization based in Los Angeles, CA, through which she rescues dogs from high kill shelters, to place them into loving homes, and does not discriminate based on age, breed, health, or ease of placement. Ellen is an outspoken advocate for education on animal welfare issues, and is active in visiting schools and libraries with her rescues in order to inform people about issues such as animal welfare, adopting versus buying animals, and the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Through her rescue work, Ellen has formed strong alliances with multiple other rescues and no kill organizations outside the Los Angeles area, and through these collaborations it has been possible to save more lives by getting the animals out of L.A.’s overcrowded, high kill shelter system, and into safe and reputable rescues in a less overpopulated areas.

As a long time jewelry designer, Ellen has used her talents to design a line called “ADOPT” by Deity Jewels, from which a portion of proceeds goes towards rescuing dogs. She has found that one of the benefits of wearing jewelry with a message is that it opens the opportunity for conversation around the issues of adopting versus buying and pet overpopulation.

Ellen resides in Los Angeles with her husband, their 9-year-old son, three rescue pups, Taco, Lucky, and Chloe, and an ever changing number of foster babies.

Zorana Adzic

Ambassador

Zorana grew up in rural Serbia, where she was always able to be around many animals. She later moved to Los Angeles to work as a model, and while traveling for her work, started helping out organizations in adoption and caring for animals.

Zorana has volunteered with the Animal Lovers League rescue in Singapore and Bark’n’Bitches in Los Angeles, and adopted a dog in China. She has also worked on fund raising events for Queen of Hearts cat rescue in Los Angeles, and also with Rosier Days Dog Rescue organization in transporting dogs from over-crowded killer shelters in California to Canada, where they were able to be adopted.

Zorana is a committed animal advocate, and would only consider being a veterinarian if she were not a model. Zorana is taking care of two dogs Indie and Penny as well as two cats Charlie and Wyatt.

Neva Kaya

Project Coordinator

Neva grew up in Puerto Rico, where she got involved with animal rescue at a very young age. She has since worked for many years in organizing large scale spay & neuter clinics in Los Angeles and abroad for homeless animals and low-income pet families, which led her to start her own non profit – I Heart Mutts – to support and create much needed “pop up spay and neuter “ clinics in many global locations.

Neva also works as a model, and has done so in LA for over a decade. This multilingual beauty is someone who is truly dedicated to changing the world for the better. Neva currently lives in Los Angeles with her deaf pit bull dalmatian mix, Cheeseburger, who she found on the street as a puppy, her other adopted dogs Keelo and Coco, and the several foster animals she is helping at any given time.

Samara Pycko

Ambassador

Samara grew up surrounded by many different kinds animals in the country in Thunder Bay, Canada, and from a young age felt a strong connection to animals. Her early love for animals came from her parents, who she credits for teaching her from a young age compassion, responsibility, and unconditional love. Samara has always viewed animals as her friends, family, and as equal beings on this planet.

In addition to her work with ISWMP, Samara is an ambassador for www.rhinosurfer.org , and works to help save and protect our oceans and marine life, and to bring awareness to other important issues. She loves spending time in the wilderness, as this is a place she is strongly connected to and feels at home in, and plans to acquire land to shelter homeless animals.

Samara is dedicated to being a voice for the voiceless, and to stand for a world full of peace and equal animal rights.

Gaby Perez

Chief Financial Officer

Gaby was born and raised in Los Angeles. As a child, she wasn’t allowed to have pets where she lived, but this was the one thing she always asked and wished for. As an adult, when she was able to have her own dog, this experience allowed her to see the beauty and innocence of animal’s amazing souls.

Through research, Gaby realized the harsh reality about animal cruelty and became determined to make a difference. As an auditor for a large corporation, she was not experiencing a sense of fulfillment and purpose, so she began spending her free time volunteering at local dog and cat animal shelters, and later at horse stables.

Through her network and the power of social media, she rescues dogs that are scheduled to be euthanized and finds them foster homes. Her network eventually led her to ISWMP, where she looks forward to continue rescuing animals and fighting against animal cruelty.

Lizzette

Community Outreach & Project Advisor

Lizzette is San Diego native currently living in Vegas.
She was in the nightclub industry for 9 years before and decided to pursue her own business. Lizzette is working on a Vegan t-shirt line that will be launching next year.

Growing up she always loved dogs and cats but never took farm animals into consideration until she was older. After she watched several documentaries that shed light on what was happening in the industry of animal agriculture led her to adopt Vegan life style 4 years ago. She started fostering dogs for Animal Help Alliance in 2013. In the course of a years she adopted 3 handsome rescue pups of her own.

After spending a year volunteering at a farm animal sanctuary, Lizzette realized that she had a deep connection with farm animals and decided to start raising awareness. She became an organizer with Direct Action Everywhere a non profit set up as a network of ordinary people that take non violent direct action to publicly protest in order to communicate directly with the wider public and bring awareness. Lizzette organized in store protests against MAC and Michael Kors for their exploitation and abuse of animals for profit. She is also a committee member of The first annual Vegas Vegfest.
Lizzette lives with her adopted dogs Jackson, Kingsley and Arthur.

Tana Loy-Sainz

Ambassador

Tana was born in Indiana, and is a true country girl. Her great-grandfather built a livestock sale barn in the early 1940’s, and it is still family owned & operated. Tana’s first experiences with animals were very unique, as she not only grew up in a family that sold livestock and held exotic animal sales twice a year, which included animals from bears to zebras, ostriches, camels, gazelle, jaguars, and many other kinds of exotic animals, but also because her father is a hunter, and taught her to hunt as a young girl. Growing up, Tana’s parents were skilled equestrians, her father was a roper, and her mother is a barrel racer, so she grew up traveling to rodeos and she literally could ride before she could walk.

Tana developed a deep connection and compassion for animals at a young age, and from her mother learned to care for sick and injured animals. Later in life, Tana became committed to being a voice for voiceless animals, and began volunteering for the Los Angeles city shelters. She is especially passionate about dogs and horses, and is committed to assisting homeless animals and raising awareness about the dog meat industry. She is also a strong advocate for animal adoption, and believes that each animal she has spent time with, both past and present, have changed her for the better and is very grateful to each of them.

Tana is the director of a fashion modeling agency in Los Angeles, and helps to guide and manage many model’s careers. She lives with her 2 rescue dogs,a Pekingese and a Peki-Pom.

Vice President

Jenna is an outspoken advocate for our planet. In 2011, she graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a BA in Intercultural & Organizational Communication, a BA in Biological Anthropology with a specialization in Primatology and a minor in Sociology.

After college, Jenna continued to study orangutan’s capacity for cognitive development and gained experience with lesser apes, monkeys and lemurs, which led her to want her own sanctuary to house and rescue non-human primates from neglectful and abusive circumstances.

In 2015 she became a co-founder of Free Spirit Equestrian Center & Rescue, a 501(c) (3) Non-profit animal rescue. In the last year and half they have rescued over 36 animals and have developed programs to help children with autism, veterans, and all walks of life. Jenna was also elected District Captain for the ASPCA.

Jenna lives with her cats Candella, Zayn and Zander and her dogs Levi and Mowgli.

Taryn Larock

Chief Operations Officer Taryn is a fashion designer, photographer and animal advocate, and is specifically passionate about marine animals, the sea, and habitat conservation. Taryn’s clothing line, Sage Larock, was founded on her own principles of high environmental and social welfare standards, the refusal to use any fur or animal skins, or materials that contribute to deforestation.

Before founding her clothing line in 2013, Taryn worked as a model and commercial actress, and is trained raw vegan chef. As a child and teenager, Taryn trained competitively in grand prix show jumping & dressage, which strengthened her respect for and bond with horses, other animals, and the natural world.

Taryn has previously worked with multiple animals rights organizations, such as Rocky Mountain Animal Defense, and is an outspoken advocate for cetaceans and sharks, low cost spay/neuter options locally & abroad, the protection of companion and wild animals, conserving the world’s remaining open spaces and speaking out against dog breed discrimination.

She lives with her adopted PitBull Evie.

Bonnie-Jill Laflin

Advisor

Bonnie-Jill is the first and only female NBA scout for the Los Angeles Lakers, and currently a reporter for FOX Sports and BBC Sports. She has been a cheerleader for the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

This Maxim Hot 100 model hosts a Fantasy Football and Basketball show on Sirius/XM Satellite, ESPN Austin hosting pre and post -game shows for the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Longhorns. Additionally, Laflin is a strong voice in the animal welfare movement. She has also worked with notable animal and environmental rights organizations as a celebrity ambassador on many national campaigns.

Her philanthropic work with both the military and animal welfare is a passion for Bonnie-Jill which caused her to form her non-profit “Hounds and Heroes”. She has also rescued horses from slaughter, adopting and fostering dogs and cats from the US and abroad, run spay/neuter clinics in Third World countries, starred in 5 PETA print campaigns, traveled to Japan with Sea Shepherd to work to ban dolphin slaughter, and recently filmed a documentary in Africa on banning poaching.

Chief Creative Officer

Sharon has always had a strong connection with animals and has adopted many throughout her life. It wasn’t until Sharon became committed to her spiritual practice that it actually resonated within her that she wanted to be involved in protecting all animals.

Even though Sharon has trained in nutrition and has worked in the medical field for over 10 years, it wasn’t until a she went vegan that she realized that she was called to fight against animal cruelty. Raising her voice and educating family and friends on a healthier, non-violent lifestyle is now her life’s focus.

She believes that educating others through her work that a vegan/non-violent lifestyle not only leads to a better quality of life, but also for the planet as a whole. Ultimately her vision for the future is to help build momentum and change in the way we view and treat all animals on a global level and to help rebuild that bridge of connection, respect and compassion between humans and all animals.

Sharon lives with her dogs Patriot and Tucker.

Tal Navarro

Marketing Advisor

Tal Navarro: grew up in Northern Israel, where her family still lives. She grew up in a family that loves animals, and she had many dogs from a very young age, and her father also has a horse stable. Tal’s family gave a love and respect for animals to their children, and taught Tal and her sisters to help homeless stray animals and the importance of fostering and finding them adoptive homes. Tal has 2 sisters, one who is a veterinarian, and both are vegans.

At the age of 21, Tal moved to New York to launch her first buiness, and since then has lived in and traveled to many countries, which has given her unique global insight and perspective into many animal issues. Professionally, Tal is entrepreneur and a pioneer in the digital marketing arena, and she established the first Social Media department at Adler, Chomski & Warshawsky – one of the leading ad agencies in Israel. She currently lectures, teaches courses, and consults for major international firms, start-ups, and senior management for social media platforms & digital marketing from a strategic point of view. In 2014, Tal was chosen by Forbes Israel as one of the 40 “Young & Successful” people in Israel.

Tal currently resides in Los Angeles, and looks forward to adopting a cat, dog or rabbit.

Aleksandra Schiffer

Founder & President

Aleksandra’s life purpose is building a world where animals and humans live peacefully and respectfully.

Her life began in former Yugolavia during a decade long civil war. As a refugee, she relocated through the Balkans where she regretfully witnessed many attrocities against humans and animals. Fortunately, her loving mother kept her safe and fed while living in various war zones.

She had the opportunity to grow up living in several countries. Having been exposed to many diverse cultures and languages form a young age, she has learned about animal welfare issues from a global perspective.

Aleksandra’s affection for animals was immediately apparent from birth. Her earliest memories are rescuing injured wild animals and releasing them back into the wild. To date, she has rescued over 100 dogs from 10 countries, funded the protection and relocation of many species on the verg of extinction and organized international protests against animal exploitation.

For over a decade, she has worked and volunteered with various international animal welfare organizations. This experience convinced her to become a dedicated animal activist and eventually form her own organization, I Stand With My Pack.

Aleksandra also has worked as a theatrical actress, model and a manager. She studied law and speak several languages.

Aleksandra lives with her adopted Cane-corsos Bouba and Scout, and is always fostering animals without home.